Food and Grocery Council says no link between sugar consumption and rising obesity

In Britain, high profile scientists and doctors are heading a new campaign aimed at driving down the sugar content of supermarket products.

Sarah Dingle reports.

SARAH DINGLE: The starting gun has been fired in the war on sugar.

In Australia, three major health organisations want a sugar tax on all sweetened beverages - not just soft drinks, but also products like flavoured milk and sports drinks - to limit consumption.

Overnight in Britain a campaign called Action on Sugar has been launched to reverse that country's obesity epidemic.

Its expert advisors include heavyweights from the scientific and medical community, and it's targeting the "huge and unnecessary amounts of sugar that are currently being added to our food and soft drinks".

Last month leaked draft guidelines from the World Health Organization suggested the WHO is considering halving the recommended daily intake of sugar from 10 teaspoons to five.

But Australia's Food and Grocery Council says there's nothing wrong with sugar.

Deputy CEO, Dr Geoffrey Annison.

GEOFFREY ANNISON: There's no demonstration that sugar of itself is particularly obesogenic or related to any health outcomes.

SARAH DINGLE: The Food and Grocery Council's position is that sugar is not related to obesity?

GEOFFREY ANNISON: Well, I think if you look at the scientific evidence, including that presented by the WHO, that's very much the case.

SARAH DINGLE: In fact, the World Health Organization's latest Global Strategy on diet says an unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for chronic disease and recommends reducing sugar intake to help prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes and dental problems.

Professor Greg Johnson from Diabetes Australia says the Food and Grocery Council argument is eerily familiar.

GREG JOHNSON: These are the sorts of responses that we saw out of the tobacco industry decades ago when we first started hearing from the College of Surgeons in the US and leading clinicians and researchers around the problems of tobacco and ill health.

So it's not a surprise to hear this, but you know all we can say is: look at the evidence that's coming out and being talked about by many independent, reputable experts and organisations around the world.

SARAH DINGLE: Diabetes Australia is calling for a sugar tax on sweetened drinks, as just one of a series of measures to combat Australia's rising obesity rates and the rise in diabetes.

GREG JOHNSON: Australia's in the top 10 countries for the per capita consumption of these products. You know, from 2007 we know that one in two, nearly 50 per cent, of all Australian children consumed sugar-sweetened beverages every day. Every day.

There is no dietary need to have sugar-sweetened beverages and the other part of it is that they're particularly associated with weight gain.

SARAH DINGLE: The Food and Grocery Council says the industry is already responding by putting out low-calorie products.

Dr Annison claims not only is there no direct correlation between sugar consumption and obesity, but Australia's sugar consumption is dropping.

GEOFFREY ANNISON: There's absolutely no doubt that they're consuming less sugar than before. So, for example, in 1938, they were consuming about 55 kilograms per person and it went down to 42 kg per person by 2011.

SARAH DINGLE: But Professor Johnson says the UK's Action on Sugar has the right idea and we need to wind down our consumption of the white stuff.